


Strawberry cake and cream puffs

by furufish



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harvest Moon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 05:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10610208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furufish/pseuds/furufish
Summary: It's a slow day at Nanairo-Cho's bakery, and Murasakibara just wants to go home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> While having a minor role, this story features my friend Li's OC, Yomi. Thank you again for letting me use her!

The cloudy skies which loomed over the town, threatening with rain, seemed to hold everyone indoors. As a result, it was an unbearably slow day at the bakery. While they had made their usual morning bread sales (coincidentally when the sun was still present), the muggy afternoon hadn't brought in a soul. Normally, one could only witness a full sweets display in the morning, but today the display case was still chock full of cupcakes and all kinds of gooey pastries. As the clouds traveled sluggishly outside, Murasakibara, the owner of the bakery, sat lazily in a chair, staring at the ceiling. Meanwhile, his assistant Sakurai fiddled with the display, making sure the treats were still lined up like little frosted soldiers.

Murasakibara’s chair creaked as he rocked the chair impatiently with his legs. He let out a loud groan which echoed in the empty shop like a bear's roar.

"No one's coming, I'm going home," Murasakibara moaned.

Sakurai’s shoulders jerked at the sudden sound. He hastily closed back the display. Fiddling with his gloves, he squeaked out a reply. "W-wait, you can't do that! It's only 3 pm! There's still 3 more hours..."

Sakurai eyes darted nervously at the clock. It was actually 3:24 pm, which made his argument all the more unconvincing. He glanced to the door as well. Not a single person seemed to be outside that day. It was going to start raining soon too, and then all hope of a customer would be washed away like dirt on pavement.

He sighed. It wasn’t as if Sakurai didn’t know how Murasakibara felt. It was hard sitting around all day, without a single customer (not even a curious passerby!), but they still couldn't just shirk work. Sakurai was stubborn, not one to admit defeat in the face of adversity, and he was determined to see the day through. Unfortunately for him, however, Murasakibara was the type to quit while he still could, and he became impossible to deal with once he lost his patience. Sakurai had to act quickly.

"Murasakibara, maybe we can, uh, pass the time somehow?" Sakurai squeaked. "I’m sure we’ll get a customer soon if we wait!"

"Huhhh?"

Murasakibara stood up from the little wooden chair, pushing himself off with long legs. He walked lazily toward Sakurai.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! That was stupid of me to say!" Sakurai cried.

"I hate people that don't give up," Murasakibara grumbled. He had half a mind to hit Sakurai on the head, but he was too tired to really care. "No one is coming, and that's that."

Sakurai reflexively flinched at Murasakibara’s tone. He needed to be more delicate about the situation. After all, he had no chance if it ever came down to a physical fight. With Murasakibara’s size and strength, he had more luck against a tractor! There had to be a smarter way to distract Murasakibara somehow… Wait, what was he doing?!

The line of pastries had caught Murasakibara’s eyes; at that moment, he realized he hadn’t eaten since lunch.

"If no one is coming, then I'm having these for myself."

Murasakibara moved his hand to open the display, his mouth watering at the chocolate cake sitting at the center. Sakurai shrieked.

"AAH!! No!!! What are you doing!? Don't eat that; those are for the customers!!"

Murasakibara glared at Sakurai. The delicious-looking cake almost made him forget that the pesky shroom was there.

"What? I made this, so it's mine."

"But, but...!"

"How many times have I told you to stop stuttering, Saku-chin? It's annoying, you know."

"I'm sorry!!"

Sakurai bobbed his head like a drinking bird.

"Just shut up and take some. I'm the boss, and I say it’s okay." 

 _That's not the point!_ Sakurai yelled in his head. Honestly, Murasakibara could be so child... and that’s when an idea popped into his head.

"I… don’t want your chocolate cake”, he started. “Because, my strawberry cake is better!"

Murasakibara retracted his hand before he could dip a finger into the chocolate frosting. He stared at Sakurai with something between annoyance and puzzlement.

"Are you stupid, Saku-chin? We all know my strawberry cake is the best."

 _Hook, line, and sinker_ , thought Sakurai. This was going to be easier than he planned. Murasakibara really was a child at heart.

“No way,” Sakurai continued, “My cake is the best. In fact, I-I’ll make myself one right now, and it’ll be tastier than your chocolate cake!”

Yeah he was definitely going overboard, risking angering Murasakibara like that and practically asking for a big bump on the head, but he didn’t care. If this was the only way to stop him from leaving, then it would be just fine. It wasn’t like he was unused to being hit anyway. Sakurai glanced at the clock again. It was 3:35, which meant he had already bought up around ten minutes. This was fine, he thought. Now for the finishing blow.

"No, _my_ strawberry cake is the best," Murasakibara reiterated.

"Then, how about you prove it?" Sakurai replied, "U-unless you’re chicken or something!"

Sakurai said his last phrase with obvious hesitance, but it didn’t matter at all. Murasakibara merely grunted at Sakurai, about to lose his temper.

"I’m not a chicken. I’ll show you how to make a strawberry cake, and it’ll be the best cake you’ve ever eaten." Murasakibara paused. "And then I’m going home."

"Not if my cake is better!" Sakurai chirped. "If my cake is better, then you have to stay for the rest of the day!"

"Get me my hair tie."

Murasakibara began to roll up his sleeves. Who did Saku-chin think he was? He was the boss of this bakery, so he was quite obviously the best in town. In fact, he could make a cake in little over 40 minutes, and once he did, he would be well on his way. That would teach Sakurai not to defy him, or to be so damn stubborn. The clock read 3:37. He would definitely be out the door by 4:30.

Meanwhile, Sakurai scrambled for the hair tie, taking a good couple of minutes to find one. He nervously handed it to Murasakibara, who snatched it right out of his hands.

With thuds rather than steps, Murasakibara walked into the kitchen with Sakurai in tow. They both knew the kitchen like they knew their recipes by heart, so it took no time at all to collect all the ingredients needed for a strawberry cake. The white center table was quickly filled with eggs, flour, sugar, salt, oil, baking powder, and more; including, most importantly, a bowl of fresh strawberries. Each of them then took the ingredients into their own corners, and with that, both men occupied opposite sides of the bakery. Being as competitive as they were, they disliked the idea of the other watching over their technique.

The oven slowly heated up, waiting patiently for the two cakes. With quick motions, both men whisked the ingredients for their respective cakes. It was no time at all before they both had a bowl of delicious pink batter. They each poured the batter into the pan of their choice: Murasakibara using a plain round one, while Sakurai had opted for cute floral shape, perfect for spring. Their eyes met as they both put the batter into the oven. In that moment, Sakurai was burning with competitive spirit. So much so, that he completely forgot about the original purpose of the competition. All he wanted now was to prove once and for all that _he_ was the best.

As the cakes rose slowly in the oven, they each quickly whipped up their best frosting. Sakurai went for extra sweetness with a pink vanilla frosting, but Murasakibara knew that cream cheese frosting was the only true companion for strawberry cake.

The oven dinged, and they quickly recovered their cakes from the heat. Both of them frosted the cakes with extreme delicacy, only stopping occasionally to glare at their competition. Murasakibara had only planned to give the cake a simple frosting, but seeing Sakurai pipe out elegant ribbons caused him to want to do the same. If there was one area that Sakurai had him beat, it was definitely cake decorating. Sakurai was a master of fondant, after all. Not that Murasakibara was ever willing to admit it.

The clock continued to tick as they both decorated the cakes as best they could. By the time they both finished, it was already 4:52.

"All done!" Sakurai exclaimed, looking over his cake with pride. "It’s perfect!"

"But mine’s better." Murasakibara corrected.

"We’ll see about that!"

Sakurai cut a large piece for Murasakibara to try, gently resting it atop a plate. He made sure to give him the piece with the most strawberries. Murasakibara did the same. He gave Sakurai a handsome slice that the shorter man would probably never finish in a million years. With self-assured smirks, they exchanged their pieces, and each took a bite of the other’s cake.

"Ugh, too much sugar."

"Bleh, the frosting is too thick."

They exchanged glares.

"W-what do you mean too much sugar? It’s a cake, not a bag of chips!"

"Did you want to poison me or something, Saku-chin? I’ll get cavities for sure."

"And what did you mean the frosting is too thick?" Murasakibara added, "Yours felt like whipped cream."

"Well the frosting was overpowering on yours!"

The bickering continued for another several minutes, until they heard the town’s bell ring. It was already 5 pm. Murasakibara, immediately noticing the time, let out a low growl.

"Look what you did, stupid idiot. I could’ve been home by now."

Sakurai suddenly came back to his senses.  

"Wait, no, but there’s only one hour left!"

Ignoring Sakurai’s plea. Murasakibara began to walk out of the kitchen. Sakurai had already run out of ideas, but he was still determined to make Murasakibara stay. Begging was his last and only option. He instinctively grabbed Murasakibara by the waist and began to beg, struggling to hold him back even an inch. Murasakibara tried to push him off, but while Sakurai’s small frame offered little resistance, he was still able to keep a strong grip.

"Let go or I’ll crush you!"

"I’m sorry, but I can’t!" he wailed.

Murasakibara decided to ignore him and keep walking. Once he was out of the cramped store, he could take care of Sakurai later.

"Murasakibara, I’m begging! Please!"

In that moment, with Sakurai’s arms around Murasakibara's waist, pleading him to stay, the front door budged open. They both turned their heads to a young girl standing shyly by the door. Judging by her petite stature, she was most likely a teenager. Sakurai traced back through his memories, trying to remember who she was; but Murasakibara recognized her on the spot. It was far from the first time she had been around the shop. Every time the girl walked by, she paused to stare at the display from outside, her head practically fastened to the glass. It was the first time she actually entered the shop, however.

Now that he could appreciate her more closely, Murasakibara noted she had round blue eyes and chestnut hair that seemed to flow endlessly down her back. Her fashionable outfit hinted that she was from the city, and, despite her unfortunate size, she had quite a gorgeous figure. Not that he was attracted to some kid or anything.

"May I buy something?" she softly said, looking curiously at the two men. "I'm not interrupting something am I?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Sakurai reflexively yelled, stepping away from Murasakibara. He could feel the blood surging to his head as he bowed down.

Ignoring Sakurai, Murasakibara opened his mouth to ask the girl what she wanted, but her attention was already elsewhere. The girl, who in 10 seconds had completely forgotten about the two, was staring intently at the file of sweets before her. Bread buns, cupcakes, cookies and tarts, and many other kinds of sweets were carefully organized. The tongue peeking out her mouth told Murasakibara that she was undecided. As he stood behind her, looking at the sweets as well, he remembered that she was always staring longer at the cream puffs than anything else. The girl began to hum to herself in a soft voice.

"What do I want… what do I want…"

She kept staring at the display, mumbling quietly to herself while Murasakibara and Sakurai watched. Murasakibara huffed. He would've been on his way if it weren't for her. _Just choose them already_ , he thought. Not waiting another minute, he pointed a heavy finger at the cream puffs.

"You want these, right?"

The girl's eyes lit up as soon as they noticed the cream puffs. Her smile was as wide as the horizon.

"Oh, great idea! I'll take 3 of those please!"

"Saku-chin."

"I-I'm on it!"

Sakurai scrambled for the pincers. He carefully selected the best-looking cream puffs on display, and put them in a box with trembling hands.

"That'll be... uh... 900g!"

"Here you go!"

She quickly paid Sakurai, and stuffed a pastry in her mouth as soon as she could. Since she was so tiny and her cheeks were puffing out, she looked just like a hamster. As she chewed on the delicious ball of cream, her face beamed with happiness. Sakurai smiled, and even Murasakibara couldn’t help but soften his gaze. The way her eyes sparkled was dazzling to say the least, and he felt immense pride that he could make that happen with his sweets. It was probably a stupid idea, but he at least wanted to ask her name.

But before he could, she was already on her way to the door. Not one to overstay her welcome, she simply let out a muffled “thank you”, and clumsily pushed the door while trying to grab another cream puff. As the door closed behind her waterfall of hair, Sakurai breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ahh, isn't it great that we finally got a customer? Maybe there'll be another one!" Sakurai might’ve sounded a little too hopeful, but he still really wanted to convince Murasakibara.

"I guess."

Murasakibara slumped back in his chair. He didn't want to admit it, but if he hadn’t stayed like Sakurai wanted, he wouldn’t have had the chance to see that face. Now he couldn’t get it out of his mind.

"So... how did you know she wanted the cream puffs?"

"Huh?" Murasakibara shot him a perplexed look. "Of course she wanted them. They were made by me, after all."


End file.
